Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his fianc was driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle crashed head-on into a tree. During the crash, the front-end was severely damaged but no air bags deployed. During the crash, the driver sustained head and neck injuries rendering her unconscious. The driver also sustained an injured right knee, leg contusions, and lacerations; along with chest and torso injuries. The driver was transported from the scene to seek medical attention. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The vehicle was later deemed destroyed by the insurance company. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
I was going home, speed limit 55 mph, so thats what I was doing. A suv entering a intersection ahead of me, ( i dont have a stop or yield sign, but they do) the suv never stops, rolling into the intersection, as im entering the intersection at 55 mph. I tried avoidance at last second to no avail. My front drivers corner smashed the middle, passenger side of the other suv. My Jeep continues to the right, uncontrollable, stops in someone's front yard, engine still running. The other car swerved to the left, still on the road, rolling on its side. My airbags never deployed, i didnt even get any lights on the dash, i had to shut the engine off. Not one airbag deployed, and nothing even recognized there was something wrong. This car is supposed to have all options for airbags, yet a collision at highway speed, with post wreck travel of less than 50 feet, and not one single air bag deployed. …
I was involved in a significant front-end collision while driving my 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The vehicle sustained extensive front-end damage, including substantial damage to the hood, front bumper, and front structural/components area. Despite the severity of the collision, none of the airbags deployed. I sustained injuries to my neck, shoulders, and back as a result of the collision. I am concerned that the non-deployment of the airbags may have contributed to the severity of my injuries. Prior to the collision, I was not aware of any airbag warning lights, warning messages, or problems with the airbag/SRS system. I am concerned that the airbag system may not have functioned as intended during the collision. I am requesting that the non-deployment be investigated as a potential safety issue. …
Took a hard Impact to the rear driver side tire and rear driver door corner small dent(near rear tire), and was spun 180 causing being propelled into a light pole on the passenger front and side. No airbags deployed in the entire vehicle. Multiple people in the vehicle in the vehicle sustained concussions, one also hit their head off the side window which resulted in a large bump forming, and also sustained a fractured rib. No warning lights were on and vehicle had recently been inspected. Currently there is a case opened with JEEP regarding the lack of deployment of the airbag system related to this accident.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed air bag module. The contact was informed that the air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,930.
My wife was involved in an accident due to the other driver making an illegal u-turn. This collision involved a front impact of her Jeep causing several thousand dollars of damage. During this accident, the airbags did not deploy as would have been expected in an accident of this nature.
The vehicle show code B0020-13. This is a fault in the wiring system for the airbags. Caused by Jeep engineering being bad. This has nothing to do with how is driven or used and is a massive safety issue and shuts the entire airbag system down. It requires fix 10-001-20. This issue is so common they have issued a bulletin. The fix is $1100. The fact that this isn't covered by Chrysler is an abomination to safety and is absolutely ridiculous. Then being allowed to not fix air bag issue they know they have caused should be illegal. I'm embarrassed to even have to write this. This is going to kill someone.
PASSENGER AIRBAG INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT. WARNING LAMPS: Service airbag system Service parking brake 4wd unavailable Driver seatbelt not fastened Phone unavailable occasionally Check engine DESCRIPTION LEADING UP TO INCIDENT: Several days of seeing warning lamps. Limited driving. Disconnected battery for 8 hrs. Reconnected battery. Backed out of garage into driveway. Sat in car idling at 2000 RPMs with AC on. After 3 mins, passenger airbag deployed. Additional Info: Nothing on passenger seat at time. No work had been done in or around IP. {instrument panel}.
From airbags all of them. yes its available for inspection. the airbags deployed while I was driving and I couldn't control the car and ended up in a ditch. yes we were put at risk as well as others on the road. Nobody has inspected vehicle at this time. no prior issues or warnings. It deployed without any warnings. There was NO cause for this to happen, No impact when this ocured.
Start driving the vehicle multiple times during the operation you get a service airbag message with a code / dtc of b0020-13 which FCA put out a TSB for but when you do take the car in the code is not stored in memory, so they refused to repair it
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Airbag complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the air bags of the 2016 Jeep Cherokee, 2% of the model year's 1,411 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Jeep Cherokee airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Jeep Cherokee airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 0 fires and 17 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.